The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 112
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 112
Seolmujin hesitantly stepped back.
Even now, if he turned and ran, he might abandon a few sea bandits but could safely board the ship.
Just as Xie Baowei said, what the approaching figures wore were unmistakably official robes, no matter how hard you looked.
Though their appearance wasn’t neat, their distinctive weapons and armor were things civilians dared not imitate.
“What should we do?”
What indeed.
Xie Baowei drew his sword.
The sword he brought this time was a narrow, sturdy short blade called a hyeopdo. It was one that Brother Woon-taek had obtained by chance, named Jeol-yeong, and was said to be easy to wield with one hand, making it useful on deck.
Since using it on solid land left him wanting for another hand, he gripped his short sword in his left hand.
“They’re Imperial Troops! If things go wrong, we’ll be branded as rebel conspirators!”
Seolmujin grabbed his arm.
Shandong had always been a place where the government’s power was strong.
Of course, the Imperial Court’s authority didn’t extend majestically to this remote land, but due to the aftermath of the maritime ban, the military officials’ influence remained high.
No matter how much Xie Baowei had manipulated the Shandong government offices, he couldn’t recklessly interfere with them.
But Xie Baowei seemed to have finished his deliberation.
“Follow me, or watch. I won’t abandon you.”
Thud.
Xie Baowei smiled playfully and shook off Seolmujin’s touch with a swing of his arm.
But when he turned his head, there was no trace of laughter on his face.
Xie Baowei’s eyes hardened as he took several large steps forward and swung his sword.
Argh.
With the sound, one guard fell screaming.
“What! These bastards! How dare these pirates kill Imperial Troops!”
“Hunt down the traitors!”
The following guards shouted in rage.
Xie Baowei sought out those shouting and swung his sword swiftly.
Clang!
Sparks flew in the darkness.
Even though he struck without underestimating them, the opposing blades were fierce enough to meet his.
Indeed, they were worthy of being called the spirited and fierce navy.
“You bastard! How dare you! Who are you people!”
“….”
“Hmph. Obviously sea bandits. These vermin, I’ve been waiting for this! Kill all these insects!”
One of them had a rough mouth, but compared to his words, his body stayed back.
That one was the leader. Xie Baowei twisted his lips and moved forward.
Though they had clearly rushed out in panic, some had properly brought long spears and others held swords and shields.
Under the Rough-Mouthed Man’s command, they formed ranks according to their weapons, making it feel like facing an army alone.
They weren’t just guards in name only, but had the momentum of elite soldiers.
Xie Baowei moistened his dry lips.
A small sword in his left hand and a medium blade in his right.
Hmph.
Nothing beats this for chaotic battle.
Whoosh. Xie Baowei instantly plunged into the midst of his enemies.
Clang!
He deflected several incoming spears and slid forward, with blades sprouting left and right before his eyes.
Clang!
He parried with Jeol-yeong and struck the left guard’s arm, shoulder, and neck in sequence with his small sword.
He twisted his head to avoid the blade coming at his face. Some hair was cut and fell, and a line of blood was drawn on his earlobe.
This will get me in trouble with Lüli.
Before the blade could strike down, he blocked with his small sword and stabbed the enemy’s belly with Jeol-yeong, twisting as he pulled it out.
Again, clang!
Sparks flew and Xie Baowei’s body spun once.
“Break formation! What are you idiots doing giving distance to an enemy with short weapons!”
The soldiers instantly scattered around Xie Baowei.
In the meantime, two more soldiers fell, but the enemies’ level was higher than expected.
Whew.
Xie Baowei steadied his breathing.
The final strike he delivered should have been executed as a scattered technique of Iljoepyeon to create chaos, rather than as a move from Kwaehwalsamui.
Though he took one life, in situations like this, inflicting wounds was more advantageous.
Tsk. It was because his mind was rushed.
Glancing over, Seolmujin’s side was still passive and he couldn’t tell what Ak Munheon was thinking.
This inevitably left surplus troops.
Some of them were moving toward the fleeing sea bandits, and some were looking behind them, seeming to sense something strange.
He had to strike before they withdrew.
Xie Baowei charged in once more.
Clang!
Clatter!
“Yes! Tire him out!”
Hmm. A groan escaped without him realizing.
Unlike before, when the soldiers deliberately kept their distance, it was hard to close the gap.
Xie Baowei’s eyes swept over the faces of the scattering soldiers.
Whoosh. A mountain-like aura flowed from Xie Baowei’s body.
Even if it was excessive, he had to scatter their center.
It was when the soldiers’ morale wavered and they stepped back.
Swoosh!
“Baekying.”
In an instant, it seemed as if a forest of spear points had risen before his eyes.
One familiar short spear overwhelmed the weapons held by dozens of soldiers.
Truly Baek Yeongchang!
It was Ak Munheon.
Xie Baowei was not one to miss this opportunity.
Crack!
“Block them! Block them!”
Though there were dozens of guards in the dark night, when Xie Baowei and Ak Munheon decided to use their full strength, they could no longer dare to oppose them.
Seeing this, Seolmujin also sighed while swinging his sword, and soon the group of enemies was defeated.
Groan.
Watching Xie Baowei finish off each of the fallen one by one, Seolmujin shook his head as if disgusted.
“Is this really right?”
In Seolmujin’s view, this was completely falling into Yan Wugang’s trap.
Now if those bastards testified in unison, how could they not become traitors?
However, despite his grumbling, Xie Baowei and Ak Munheon silently cleaned up the situation, roughly washed the blood off in the seawater, and waited quietly.
The flames that had been soaring behind that hill intensified and weakened for a while before going out some time later.
Shadows began to emerge one by one from beyond the hill.
“Are you done with your worries?”
Xie Baowei shouted loudly without even checking who it was.
The shadows hesitated and looked back.
From among the shadows, a short and sturdy man came out and laughed heartily.
“The saying that sea people are impatient seems less true than for inland folk.”
It was Yan Wugang.
He walked down slowly.
Sea bandits followed behind him. Twice as many people as had come originally accompanied them.
Yan Wugang kicked the fallen guards with his foot, checking each face one by one, then selected one and beheaded the corpse, taking the head.
The other comrades carried the bodies of their dead companions.
“You were more helpful than expected.”
“Did you rescue them all?”
“Ho. Were you expecting this?”
“Well. Roughly.”
Xie Baowei nodded.
Due to the maritime ban, military camps were established throughout Jiaozhou.
Having soldiers to stop pirates in a place crawling with them should have been reassuring, but the reality was somewhat different.
The guards in the lax military camps were no different from another kind of pirate.
Rather, they often colluded with pirates to line their own pockets.
These ones had established a base on this isolated island, capturing people and creating their own den of debauchery.
They would release people and hunt them, and if there was a woman they fancied, they would kidnap her at night, release her on this island, and rape her as they pleased.
Their evil deeds were indescribable, to the point where people would offer water and curse them, but today it all ended.
“They must have been quite strong.”
Yan Wugang asked.
Xie Baowei shrugged.
“I’ve heard of Baek Yeongchang’s reputation. I wondered if someone with just a decent build was playing leader, but he did have some skill.”
This was after examining the corpses and their wounds.
Then why did such guys.
Yan Wugang scratched his head again.
“We’ll need alcohol. Let’s call it a day and go.”
Then he nimbly boarded the boat they had come on.
It was just one small boat after all.
The boat that had barely fit ten people when they came couldn’t carry all these people, but since they wouldn’t have started this without a plan, he watched quietly.
Meanwhile, one of the rescued people slowly approached the fallen corpses.
A sea bandit standing nearby casually handed him his sword.
That was the beginning.
People wept as they mutilated the corpses.
Despite the horrific scene, no one tried to stop them.
Even after venting their anger on the dead bodies, the people didn’t seem to feel any relief.
There were those who laughed hollowly, but none who laughed with satisfaction.
Everyone was shedding tears, but none were crying from joy.
“That’s what revenge is like. Even when accomplished, it brings no joy, and even when released, no satisfaction. So, you survivors should return home and simply live on.”
In the black night, only Yan Wugang’s voice carried on the sea breeze, drifting with the cries of the living and the souls of the dead.
After a while, a large ship appeared beside the island. It was the military vessel that had been moored in front of the island.
“…Is it okay to… use this?”
“With bastards like these everywhere, as long as you know a few signals, it doesn’t matter.”
Since they couldn’t use it for long, they said they would sail it down south to sell or sink it.
Actually, the journey down south was more dangerous, so they would probably drill holes and sink it or burn it somewhere in the open sea.
People boarded that ship.
Xie Baowei wanted to board it too, but because of Yan Wugang, he had to take the small boat.
Most quietly greeted and boarded, but a few stayed after long conversations.
“Those are people with deep resentment.”
Usually cases where entire families or clans had died leaving only one survivor, or where lovers and children had died.
After training, they would become sea bandits or the eyes and ears of sea bandits.
“Let’s go.”
Watching the large ship depart with an escort of two small boats, the boat carrying Yan Wugang also began to leave.
There was more room than when they came, because as the boat moved forward, they had sunk their comrades’ bodies tied to stones in the deep waters.
“…You’re not collecting them separately?”
“Where would sailors have graves? They’re people with no one to mourn them sadly. The bastards scattered on that island are enough trace of our visit.”
Yan Wugang had somehow procured alcohol, took a sip, and poured the rest into the sea.
He suddenly opened his mouth and spoke.
Go. Go. Leave no lingering attachments behind. Freely. Advance into that great sea.
His dry and parched voice gradually took on a rhythmic cadence.
Eogiya diyeocha, eohogiya diyeocha.
Land dwellers dig earth to make their graves, boat people open waterways to make their graves.
Eogiya diyeocha, eohogiya diyeocha.
The resentful land of the living pushes away the soul, but the winding black waters call to the spirit.
Eogiya diyeocha. Eohogiya diyeocha.
Though the path ahead is cold, the flowing waves are warm. Everyone row your oars and advance.
Eogiya diyeocha. Eohogiya diyeocha.
Cast away the rotting flesh, and carry only the pure soul.
Eogiya diyeocha. Eohogiya diyeocha.
The deep, low voices of the sailors seeped into the fog of the night sea.
The creaking sound of the small boat’s worn oars kept rhythm with their funeral song.
.
.
.
“Will the authorities stay quiet about this?”
“Hah. This person here, despite appearances, is favored by the Imperial Court.”
Seolmujin pointed at Xie Baowei.
The guards of the Sea Dog Camp all instinctively stepped back.
“…You’re someone from the Imperial Court?”
“…Just sit down for now.”
Sigh. Xie Baowei let out a deep breath.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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